2022_09_New_Jersey_Monthly

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
surgery requires several types of
imaging equipment. This new
technology gives surgeons an
all-in-one imaging capability for
enhanced visualization of the
patient’s anatomy.
Asit K. Shah, MD, PhD
Kevin Yao, MD
before and during the procedure,
allowing surgeons to use robotic
navigation to place screws and
rods with a high level of precision.
Radiology images are taken on
the day of surgery and imported
into the Excelsius3D equipment.
The surgeon uses these images to
determine the size and placement
of implants based on the patient’s
anatomy. That plan is used by the
surgeon to guide the robotic arm
to a region of the spine and follow
a pathway, like following a GPS.
Q: How is this different from
spine surgery of the past?
A: Dr. Shah: Traditionally, spine
Q: What kind of procedures
can the Excelsius perform?
A: Dr. Shah: Spinal procedures
such as lumbar or thoracic fusion
will now be possible with more
minimally invasive, highly precise
techniques. Patients with spine
conditions such as degenerative
disc disease, fractures, scoliosis,
spinal stenosis, and spinal tumors
will benefit from newly enhanced
procedures made possible by this
robotic navigation technology.
350 Engle Street
Englewood, NJ 07631
833-234-2234
englewoodhealth.org
NEW JERSEY
SPINE
SPECIALISTS, LLC
Dr. Heidi Hullinger, spine surgeon
Q: How is spinal navigation
useful in specific spine
surgery cases?
A: There are various imageguided
navigation systems where
we can either get pre-operative or
intra-operative images similar to
a CT scan. During a procedure,
the navigation system enables me
to look at those images within the
context of a reference frame that
shows where I am relative to the
patient’s imaging.
Q: When do you employ this
technology?
A: We’ve used it for tumor cases,
deformity cases, and with patients
Heidi Hullinger, MD
who have altered anatomy due to
a previous surgery. The technology
can improve accuracy, including
improved alignment and placement
of screws, especially in more difficult
cases. It can also reduce overall
surgical time and therefore decrease
time spent under anesthesia and any
associated issues post-surgery.
Q: Can you discuss a recent
case where you used spinal
navigation?
A: A female patient came in with
altered anatomy due to a prior surgery
and also had a deformity due
to a fracture. That really distorted
her anatomy, and I needed to extend
her spinal fusion. The navigation
was a very useful tool in placing new
instrumentation, replacing her prior
instrumentation, and also correcting
her alignment. This patient is now
doing very well with quite a bit of
improvement in terms of weakness
and numbness.
Q: Is this technology brand new?
A: It’s been available for some
time, but spinal navigation systems
continue to evolve, and the current
generation is much better than what
was around 15 years ago. Our team
at New Jersey Spine Specialists
always seeks out the latest proven
technology to help our patients.
More importantly, we can also
recognize when it’s useful to employ
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